PROSPECT PARK — STAFF AT THE Brooklyn Museum will be eligible for voluntary separation packages as an alternative to extensive layoffs, reports PIX News, with benefits including three weeks’ pay per year of service, COBRA health insurance coverage for four months, retirement incentives and letters of recommendation.
The deal, negotiated by museum staff union District Council 37, was reached following weeks of protests and demonstrations after the museum announced earlier this year that it would be laying off nearly 50 employees due to funding struggles. The museum reportedly has a $10 million budget deficit.
Both sides urged the city to allocate additional funding to cultural institutions, while the museum stated that layoffs may still be necessary if few employees take the buyout package.
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